Somalia was carved up among rival warlords after
the ouster of former president Mohamed Siad Siad Barre in 1991. After
years of civil war, many began enjoying rare peace after the Islamic
Courts of Somalia (SICS) captured Mogadishu from US-backed warlords in
June 2006.
The current conflict threatens to shatter the
new-found peace and trigger a regional conflict in the strategic Horn of
Africa region.
The UN has also warned that fighting may trigger
a new wave of displacement and strain relief efforts in the
poverty-stricken East African country.
